


The Gilded Hall

by SecretMaker



Series: Tumblr Drabbles 2015 [119]
Category: Haikyuu!!
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-11-04
Updated: 2015-11-04
Packaged: 2018-04-30 01:28:41
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 5
Words: 4,740
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5145233
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SecretMaker/pseuds/SecretMaker
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>A little thing based on this post on Tumblr:<br/>I really need a TsukkiHina au where Hinata is the prince of a gilded kingdom where everything is said to be perfect, and Tsukishima is the prince from anther kingdom Hinata’s father razed and brought Tsukishima back as a servant to the golden prince so Tsukishima knows all about the gross underbelly of the kingdom</p><p>At first Tsukishima is angry at him for acting like all of this isn’t happening and hates him a lot</p><p>But he finds out Hinata honestly doesn’t know anything about what is going on kin</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

9-26-15  
Prompt: The Gilded Hall ch 1 (x)  
Pairing: TsukkiHina  
Rating: T  
  
Kei looked up at the palace wearily. The Gilded Kingdom’s capital lived up to its name: a shining edifice covered with gold and silver and inlaid with glittering stones. It hurt Kei’s eyes.  
  
He shuffled forward with the rest of his people, the fifty or so that the generous king had left alive when he had burnt Kei’s kingdom to the ground. A few bakers, several washer women, a craftsman or two, and Kei, once the prince and second heir to his father’s throne. Now he was dressed in dirty clothes with a half-healed scrape on his face, trudging forward with people he had never thought to acknowledge before.  
  
Still, they gave him respect. They kept a distance around him, walked with their heads bowed in his presence. It made Kei sick. He wasn’t a prince anymore, and he never would be.  
  
The maid who met them just inside the main servants’ entrance was stern and cold. She divided Kei’s people with brutal efficiency, sending them off to their new positions without wasting a single word. She saved Kei for last.  
  
“His Majesty wishes you to be a personal servant for his son, the Prince Shouyou,” she said.  
  
“Why?” he spat. She glared sternly at him.  
  
“Because his Majesty is merciful,” she told him. “He is offering you a chance to live well, with good clothes and hot bathwater. The same could not be said of the rest of your… people.” She set off walking, not checking to see if Kei was following her. He did, reluctantly. “You will be expected to attend Prince Shouyou whenever he so wishes. Any time during the working hours in which the prince does not desire your presence you shall be put to work, cleaning his Highness’s bedchambers, seeing that his affairs are in order. You are a companion first and a personal valet second. You are to obey any orders given to you by a member of the royal family, the high staff, the royal guard, and any guests here in the palace. I understand you were a prince once, so I hope you know how to behave in the presence of your betters.”  
  
Kei refrained from giving her the answer on his lips. His only real experience with this kingdom had been the battle that had killed Kei’s family and virtually all of his subjects, and the general who had taken him captive on the king’s orders. It was so distant from the shining land he had heard about as a child, the place where everything was supposed to be perfect. People were supposed to be happy here.  
  
There was still a chance that the rumors were true. But it was a slim chance at best, and Kei had never been one for optimism. So he followed the maid in silence. She led him through the servant halls, up a rickety back stairway, and out into a rich, luxurious hallway. She turned into the door immediately to their left, which opened to reveal a richly decorated sitting room. It was clearly meant for a member of the lesser nobility, someone who was welcome in the palace, but didn’t warrant one of the grander rooms.  
  
“This will be your chamber,” the maid told him. She pointed out the bedchamber and bath chamber. “Clean yourself up and dress in the clothing laid out. His Highness will expect to meet you in an hour. His room is directly next door.” With that, she turned smartly on her heel and left Kei alone.  
  
He took a heavy breath and sat on one of the couches in the sitting room, dropping his head into his hands.   
  
Two days ago he had been worrying about how he would present himself at the gala his mother was hosting for his brother’s birthday in the spring. His father had been making comments about him finding a wife to help secure the kingdom’s stability, and he was trying to think of a way out of it. Now he was expected to be a plaything for the prince of a perfect kingdom.   
  
The door burst open, interrupting his thoughts, and in rushed a boy with a head of the brightest orange hair that Kei had ever seen. He whirled around and slammed the door shut behind him, leaning against it and breathing heavily. He caught sight of Kei on the couch and grinned, raising a finger to his lips.  
  
Kei stared at him in shock. The boy was dressed richly but plainly, much like the clothes Kei would have worn on a normal day back home. His hair was a fluffy mess and there was a smear of chocolate on his lips. He pressed his ear to the door, listening intently. After a moment he relaxed and grinned.  
  
“Alright, I think I lost her,” he said, turning with the same blinding grin. “Who’re you?”  
  
“Tsukishima Kei,” he answered, narrowing his eyes. He had to remind himself not to slap his title on the end of that. No one cared who he used to be.  
  
“Oh, you’re Tsukishima!” the boy shouted. “I forgot you were coming in today. I’m Hinata Shouyou! I guess you’re my new valet or something, right? Why’re you so dirty?”  
  
Kei stared at the boy. Incredulously, he said, “It was a long trip, and I haven’t had time to bathe yet.” The boy nodded vigorously, moving to a door in the side of the sitting room.  
  
“You should get to that,” he said, opening the door. “When you’re done come over. I’ll leave the door unlocked.” The prince disappeared without another word, leaving Kei to stare after him in confusion.


	2. Chapter 2

9-27-15   
Prompt: The Gilded Hall Ch 2 (x)  
Pairing: TsukkiHina  
Rating: T  
  
Bathed and changed, Kei stared at the door where the prince had disappeared dubiously. He didn’t know how to be a prince’s servant. He didn’t know if Hinata would expect him to knock, to bow whenever he saw him. The very thought of it made Kei want to punch something. He was not about to kowtow to some shrimp just because the shrimp’s father had razed his kingdom.  
  
He made up his mind and opened the door, storming in without knocking.  
  
“Oh, great, you’re here,” Hinata chirped. “Say, how tall are you?” Kei blinked at him, taken aback.  
  
“Uh, 188 centimeters,” he answered. Hinata’s face lit up.  
  
“Perfect! Okay, so I need your help. The other day this guy Kageyama - you’ll meet him, he’s an ass - threw my brooch up on top of my wardrobe, and I can’t reach it even if I stand on a chair,” Hinata chattered. He grabbed Kei’s wrist and dragged him into a chamber off to the side. He pulled Kei in front of a tall wardrobe and pointed. “D’you think you could grab it for me?” Kei stared at him, then at the wardrobe. With a mental shrug, he reached up and felt along the top of the wardrobe. Sure enough, his fingers brushed against something small and cold. He grabbed it and held it out to Hinata, who grabbed it excitedly, holding it up. It was a small brooch, really just a largish pearl set in a gold frame. Kei’s mother would have thought it belonged to a peasant.   
  
“Thank you so much!” Hinata gushed. “I thought I’d lost it forever. It’s my little sister’s, and she would have my head if I couldn’t give it back to her.” Hinata beamed up at him. Kei stared back, unsure of what to do. He was saved by Hinata rushing out without another word. Kei stared after him, bewildered.  
  
He was suddenly aware that he was standing alone in the prince’s bedchamber. He turned to look around, cringing at the state the room was in. The bedspread was half on the ground and there were books and bits of paper and what looked to be a child’s toys scattered all around. Kei sighed to himself and started cleaning.  
  
The prince came in, humming to himself as Kei finished organizing the desk in one of the side rooms. He stopped and stared at Kei, his brow furrowed.  
  
“You don’t have to do that,” he said. Kei jumped and turned to look at him.  
  
“Sorry, I didn’t mean to pry,” Kei said, suddenly terrified. “The maid who brought me here said that I should clean, so I figured-”  
  
“You don’t have to clean,” Hinata said again. Kei looked at him, confused.  
  
“I thought that’s what your father brought me here for,” he said. “To serve you.”  
  
“My dad brought you here?” Hinata asked. “Weired. He usually lets Iwaizumi-san take care of the staff. Why’d he pick you personally?” Kei shrugged. Something about the innocent expression on Hinata’s face made him hesitant to tell him the truth. Hinata shrugged and giggled. “Well, whatever,” he said. “You don’t have to clean if you don’t want to. I figured you’d probably have other stuff you’d want to do with your days.” Kei stared at him. “What?”  
  
“Nothing,” Kei said, looking down. “I just expected something different.” Hinata looked worried.  
  
“Is there something you would rather do?” he asked. “I could have you reassigned, or I could, I dunno-”  
  
“This is fine,” Kei said. “I was told that I should do whatever you want me to, so it’s up to you. Your Highness.” The last he tacked on as an afterthought, though Hinata made a face.  
  
“I hate when people call me that,” he grumbled. “It usually means they want something from me.” Kei laughed.  
  
“I know what you mean,” he said. Hinata looked up at him, confused.  
  
“You do?” he asked.   
  
“Yeah, you don’t know?” Kei felt his cheeks heat and he looked away. “I used to be noble, before my kingdom was destroyed,” he mumbled. Hinata’s eyes widened.  
  
“Really?” he squealed. “Is that why Dad brought you here? So that you’d have somewhere to go? He does that a lot, you know, taking in refugees and giving them sanctuary.” Hinata sounded proud, but his words sent hot sparks through Kei’s veins.  
  
“He is truly a noble king,” Kei muttered.  
  
“Yeah, he’s the best,” Hinata chirped. He glanced away and his face fell hilariously. “Ugh, I need to go to my lessons,” he groaned. His eyes filled with a strange light and he looked up at Kei. “I don’t suppose you would come with me?” he asked, his voice hopeful. “You don’t have to or anything, but it’s sooo boring there.” Kei considered. The prince had basically given him free reign over his own time, after all. But if another servant came in to find him lounging, it might get back to the king. Kei shuddered internally. No, it was much better to follow the prince.  
  
“Yeah, I’ll come along,” Kei said. Hinata’s whole face lit up and he bounced excitedly.  
  
“Awesome!” he shouted, grabbing Kei’s wrist again. “This way! I think today’s literature and math, which means Sugawara-sensei and Yamaguchi will be there.” He led Kei out of the room and down a series of halls, chattering all the way about his lessons and the teachers who taught them. Kei followed silently, wondering just what he had gotten himself into.


	3. Chapter 3

9-28-15  
Prompt: The Gilded Hall ch 3 (x)  
Pairing: TsukkiHina  
Rating: T

“No, you have to divide first, then add,” Kei said for the fifth time, pointing out the prince’s mistake. Hinata nodded wildly and scribbled the correction onto the page.

“You’re very good at this, Tsukishima-kun,” said the instructor, a freckled boy named Yamaguchi. Kei looked down with a shrug.

“I had very good teachers,” he said quietly. Yamaguchi smiled happily, while the other instructor, Sugawara, looked pained. Kei brushed it off and continued looking over the prince’s work. He stood after a moment, leaving Hinata to try the next project on his own, and walked up to Yamaguchi. “I have a suggestion,” he said, “if you don’t mind the impertinence.”

“No, no, I’d be glad to hear it,” Yamaguchi said.

“These problem sets are purely theoretical. His Highness seems to understand things on a practical level.” Kei glanced back at the prince. “If he is to run a kingdom someday, he needs to know how to do so. Why not kill two birds with one stone?”

“How do you mean?” Asked Sugawara.

“Story problems,” he said. “Exercises relating to treasuries and taxes or average rainfall or troops. Things that his Highness will actually have to deal with when he becomes king. It’ll make it more interesting for him, and may help him more in the long run.” Sugawara looked impressed.

“I think that’s a good idea, Yamaguchi,” he said, turning to his companion.

“I’ll discuss it with Kiyoko-san,” Yamaguchi answered. To Kei, he said, “She’s his Highness’s political sciences tutor. It’s one of the few subjects his highness excels at.” 

 

Kei became a permanent fixture at Hinata’s lessons after that. The tutors were good for the most part, easy to get along with and not too exuberant, and they all seemed to know their subjects. Kei came to actually enjoy spending time with them, particularly Yamaguchi. 

One instructor, however, did not approve of Kei’s presence. 

Ennoshita-san tolerated him, though he made it clear that he was not to intrude on his lessons. Kei was mildly confused, until he started to teach, and he discovered why. His lessons were garbage.

He taught Hinata the history of the land and the way various kings kept their people happy and prosperous. He told of the lands who came flocking to offer their allegiance to Hinata’s ancestors, including the most recent of which. Kei remained silent while Ennoshita told Hinata about the terrible famine that swept Kei’s kingdom, forcing the few remaining subjects to seek sanctuary, which Hinata’s father graciously gave. Hinata told Ennoshita excitedly that Kei was a noble from that kingdom, to which Ennoshita smiled dangerously and answered that it was the mark of a great ruler that he took in refugees like Kei. 

“What is his problem?” Kei groaned as he flopped onto Yamaguchi’s bed one afternoon after a particularly erroneous lesson. “He knows he’s telling it wrong, but he keeps doing it!”

“He’s under orders,” Yamaguchi told him. “The king monitors his son’s lessons closely.”

“Why would he do that?” Kei asked. “I mean, he’s going to be king. Shouldn’t he be taught how to be a king like his father?” Kei made a face at the thought of Hinata, bubbly, innocent, disgusting Hinata, a bitter old tyrant.

“He will,” Yamaguchi said. “Eventually. But right now he needs to make sure Prince Shouyou thinks that he can do no wrong. If that means lying to keep him from answering questions, well, the king has no problem with that.”

“So Hinata has no idea?” Kei could see Yamaguchi getting ready to scold him. “No, I’m not going to do anything, I just, really?” he said to head him off. “The crown prince doesn’t have any idea what a fucked up place this is?”

“Did you, before you came here?” Yamaguchi asked. “Most of us are the same as you, on a smaller scale. I was a scribe before my kingdom was invaded. I think the highest rank besides yours was Kiyoko-san, who was a king’s great-niece. The whole palace is full of people who can't leave. In fact, most of the kingdom can't leave. The guards are too powerful." Yamaguchi fell silent, clutching his fingers together. "Those of us who work for Prince Shouyou have a good life compared to everyone else here. I have no home to go to, and no way to leave if I did. But the prince is kind and friendly, and I'm glad to be working with him." He looked up, a determined glint in his eye. "We have a unique opportunity to teach a prince to be a good man, so that he can become a good king someday."

Kei looked away. It was true that Hinata was a good guy. He treated everyone like his equals, from Kei all the way down to the maids who changed his bedding. He wasn't especially bright, but he was eager and earnest, and Kei supposed that someday those could be good traits. 

"Kindness does nothing if he doesn't even know about the places it's needed," Kei said. "I couldn't care less if this entire kingdom burned, but Hinata does." He stood and patted Yamaguchi on the shoulder.

"Tsukki?" Yamaguchi called, making Kei pause at the door. "Please don't do anything to get yourself hurt. The pricne is so much happier since you've been here." Kei nodded and left the room.

 

"Your Highness?" Kei asked, knocking on the door that connected his suite to Hinata's. 

"What did I tell you about calling me that?" Hinata called. Kei rolled his eyes and walked through the door.

"Whatever, your Highness," he said. "Iwaizumi just sent me a note. His Majesty wants you to dress well for dinner." Hinata groaned and flopped to the ground in anguish.

"Ugh, he wants me to eat with Kageyama again," Hinata moaned.

"I thought you two got along," Kei said, watching the prince roll around on the floor.

"We do, when Dad's not around," Hinata told him. "Problem is, Dad wants me to marry Kageyama, so that we can combine our kingdoms." Kei raised an eyebrow. Hinata waved a hand. "He's technically a princess," Hinata explained. "He just prefers being called 'him' and wears dresses when he feels like and pants when he doesn't."

"So why don't you want to marry him?" Kei asked. Hinata groaned.

"He's, like, one of my best friends!" Hinata yelled. "And a total idiot. I mean, this guy makes me look smart. Plus, I dunno, I just don't think either of us would be happy together." Kei nodded. It made sense, after all. Kings were always pressuring their children into advantageous marriages.

"Well, dinner's in an hour," he said. "You still have time to fake a stomach bug." Hinata made a face.

"If I say I'm sick, he'll just send Daichi-san to check on me, and he never lets me get away with it," he said. "You should just come with me." Kei rolled his eyes.

"You and I both know that's a bad idea," he said.

"Yeah, but we're gonna do it anyway." Hinata picked himself up off the ground. "You don't have to if you don't wanna, but I would appreciate it if you would come," he said. Kei was trapped.


	4. Chapter 4

9-30-15  
Prompt: The Gilded Hall ch 4 (x)  
Pairing: TsukkiHina  
Rating: T  
  
Dinner with Kageyama turned out to be exactly what Kei expected it to be: formal, awkward, and full of the king’s disapproving stares. Apparently Hinata hadn’t been the only one who had thought to bring a servant to diffuse the tension. Kageyama’s lady-in-waiting, a pretty girl named Yachi who jumped at every little noise, was seated across from Kei, on Kageyama’s left.  
  
When they had entered, Kei had intended to stand against the back wall, like a good servant. Yachi had moved to do the same, but Hinata had stopped her.  
  
“Sit with us, Yacchan!” he had said. “I want to hear about the letter you got from your family. Tsukishima, you sit too!” The king had looked livid, but hadn’t contradicted the order, so Kei had sat. What had followed had been an exercise in restraint as the king had dominated the conversation, leading it to the trade relationship between his kingdom and Kageyama’s.  
  
Kageyama, for his part, looked horribly uncomfortable, and if Kei wasn’t resolved to dislike the guy, he would have felt sorry for him. He kept fidgeting with the neckline of his dress and his sleeves, smoothing out his skirt and playing with the pearls draped around his neck. He answered the king’s questions in a gruff voice, as though he were trying to counter-balance his feminine attire.  
  
“Of course, those lesser countries on our borders that have yet to swear allegiance to us will come around with time,” the king was saying, staring straight at Kageyama. “It is only a matter of time before some new plague comes to the land and forces them to look to their strong neighbors.”  
  
“Perhaps,” answered Kageyama, and Kei could see the tension in his neck and shoulders. “But perhaps we are wrong to offer the help they need at the price of their sovereignty.”  
  
“If a kingdom is too weak to maintain itself, why should it rule itself?” the king asked, and Kei could feel his gaze sliding over to him.  
  
Kei was livid, his head was pounding, his fingers itching, but he kept still. He maintained his neutral expression, seeming to watch the conversation with detached interest. The king seemed satisfied that he had reminded Kei of his place and moved back to Kageyama.  
  
  
  
Kei slammed the door to Hinata’s sitting room while Kageayma grabbed the nearest pillow and threw it at the wall.  
  
“Woah!” shouted Hinata, ducking instinctively. “What’s gotten into you two?”  
  
“Sorry,” Kei mumbled. “I lost my head.” Hinata nodded.  
  
“It’s okay, but what’s wrong?” he asked. Kei shook his head.  
  
“What’s wrong?” Kageyama shouted. “You mean you didn’t hear him insulting my father with every other sentence? You didn’t hear him gloating over Tsukishima’s kingdom?”  
  
“Kageyama, what are you talking about?” Hinata shrieked.  
  
“Prince Tobio, I think it would be best if you got changed,” Kei said calmly. “I have clothing that would fit you, if you don’t mind.” Kageyama looked like he was about to protest, but something in Kei’s expression made him stop. He nodded and followed Kei through the door to his room. Before Kei shut it, he saw Yachi leading Hinata to the couch with a soft, calming voice.  
  
“You can’t say things like that around him, it’ll get us all killed,” Kei hissed as soon as he was alone with Kageyama.  
  
“I know,” Kageyama said. All the fight drained out of him at once and he slumped onto Kei’s couch. “Sorry, I didn’t mean to drag you into this.”  
  
“You’re not the one who did,” Kei reminded him. He handed Kageyama a set of clothes. “Don’t come back until you’re calm,” he said, then returned to Hinata’s room.  
  
“Tsukishima!” Hinata shouted as soon as he saw Kei.  
  
“Calm down, your Highness, or you’ll give me a headache,” Kei grumbled. Hinata grinned brightly at him. “Where’d Yachi go?”  
  
“Back to her room,” Hinata said. “We’ve got an early morning, so she didn’t want to keep us up.”  
  
“You’ll be up all night anyway,” Kei pointed out.  
  
“Yeah, I know, but she wouldn’t listen!” Hinata groaned.  
  
“What are you doing tomorrow?” asked Kageyama, coming through the door in Kei’s clothes. The pants were a bit too long, but otherwise they fit him well.  
  
“It’s the annual Petition Day,” Hinata explained. “My dad has a day every year where anyone can come and petition the king for an answer to their problems.” Kei bit back a groan.  
  
“You should probably be getting back to your room,” he told Kageyama. “They’ll expect you to make an appearance.” Kageyama nodded gruffly and left through Kei’s sitting room, gathering up his gown as he went. As soon as he was gone Hinata sat on a couch and curled his legs against his chest.  
  
“Hey, Tsukishima?” he said softly. Kei sat next to him and waited. “Why does everyone seem to know more about my kingdom than me?”  
  
Kei wanted to scream. He wrapped his arm around Hinata’s shoulder, letting the prince lean against him. “Your father is very protective of you, your Highness,” he answered.  
  
“Fat lot of good it does me,” Hinata muttered. “I’m a horrible prince.”  
  
“No, you’re not,” Kei said.  
  
“But I am!” Hinata insisted. “I’m spoiled and lazy, everyone thinks it.”  
  
Kei whirled on Hinata, clutching the prince by his shoulders. “Listen to me,” he said, looking Hinata dead in the eye. “No one thinks that. You are the most kind-hearted prince I’ve ever met. Everyone in the palace adores you. You're friendly and funny and-” Kei wasn’t sure why he did it. All he knew as he kissed Hinata was that a voice in the back of his head was cheering, _at last._


	5. Chapter 5

10-1-15  
Prompt: The Gilded Hall ch 5 (x)  
Pairing: TsukkiHina  
Rating: T  
  
Kei jerked away like he had been burned. He stared at Hinata in terror, sure that this cushy life he had been living had just come to an end.   
  
But rather than scold him or beat him or throw him out of the palace, Hinata leaned closer to him.  
  
“Your Highness, I’m so sor-” Kei began, but he was cut off by Hinata’s murmur.  
  
“Do it again,” he breathed.  
  
“What?” Kei sputtered.  
  
“Do it again,” Hinata repeated. His cheeks colored and he leaned back. “U-unless you don’t want to.” Kei rolled his eyes and leaned in to kiss Hinata again.  
  
And again.  
  
And again.  
  
 _He smells like cinnamon_ , Kei thought, cradling the back of Hinata’s head so that he could adjust the angle. Hinata made a small noise against his lips and clung to the front of his shirt. Kei pulled away and leaned his forehead against Hinata’s breathing heavily.  
  
“Tsukishima-” Hinata gasped, holding his shirt a little tighter.  
  
“I’ll tell you,” he said. “I don’t care if he kills me, you need to know.”  
  
“Need to know what?” Hinata asked. Kei watched Hinata’s eyes, his big, sparkling brown eyes, and hated himself in that moment.  
  
“You need to know that your kingdom isn’t a paradise,” he said. “And your people are not happy.”  
  
  
  
Kei wasn’t sure how long they talked, only that sometime before the sun came up Hinata had fallen asleep in his arms. There were dried tears on his cheeks that Kei despised himself for putting there. But it had to be done.  
  
For someone who found out that his entire world was a lie created by his father, Hinata had taken the news surprisingly well. He seemed most upset about Kei’s personal story than about any of the other kingdoms the king had destroyed, and Kei was sure he shouldn’t have been so happy about that.  
  
“Is there anything we can do?” Hinata had asked. “Any way to save it?” Kei shook his head and brushed Hinata’s bangs away from his face.  
  
“My people are all but gone,” he had said. “Only fifty or so of us survived, and we were all brought here. I haven’t seen any of them since that first day.” Hinata had looked so sad at that. “It’s okay,” Kei had told him. “If I hadn’t come here, I would never have met you.”  
  
Now he looked down at the boy sleeping against his chest and a part of him couldn’t decide if he was even still upset about his kingdom. He had been with Hinata for over a year now, and every day he felt more fulfilled as his servant than he ever had as a prince. His old self would have been disgusted if he could see him now. Willingly bowing to another man’s will. Falling in love with the son of the man who killed his family. Serving that man’s heir.  
  
“I will always serve you,” Kei whispered to the sleeping prince. “In any way I can. I promise.”  Hinata mumbled something in his sleep and snuggled closer.  
  
  
  
The king died that night. A lone assassin slipped into his bedchamber and slit his throat with his own dagger. Kei and Hinata both woke to Yamaguchi barging in to tell them the news with a grin on his face.  
  
“Apparently he was from one of the kingdoms we annexed,” Yamaguchi said, still grinning. Kei watched Hinata carefully, seeing the conflicted look on his face.  
  
“It’s okay to mourn him, your Highness,” Kei said. Yamaguchi gasped as though realizing for the first time who was in the room with them. “He was still your father.”  
  
“I don’t know what I’m going to do now,” Hinata whispered. Kei pulled him into a hug, resting his chin on the top of Hinata’s head.  
  
“Now you take your place as king,” Kei told him.  
  
“I don’t know how,” Hinata replied.  
  
“We’ll figure that out,” he said.  
  
“We?” Hinata repeated, leaning back. “But I don’t understand. You’re free now. You can go back home.” Kei smiled and shook his head.  
  
“But I am home,” he said.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> What a sappy ending. What loser wrote this?

**Author's Note:**

> [Tumblr](http://notsuchasecret.tumblr.com)


End file.
